


Fairy Merry Christmas

by acuteneurosis



Series: Skip Beat Holidays 2011 [1]
Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Birthday Presents, Christmas, F/M, Kyoto, Mistletoe, Reconciliation, Secret Identity, heel siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 18:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17146637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acuteneurosis/pseuds/acuteneurosis
Summary: Kyoko is turning 18 this year and Lory is tired of waiting for her and Ren to get together. So he's going to give them a special getaway in the hope that they will give away their deepest secrets.





	1. Disbelief

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written Christmas 2011.

Takarada Lory looked down at his phone and tried valiantly not to sigh. He had told his granddaughter repeatedly that sighing let good luck escape, and there was no reason to bemoan one's existence. You simply did your best with what you had and good things came of it. It probably helped that in his case, Lory had more good luck than he really knew what to do with.

Which was why he was so concerned about his efforts with Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko. True, there was _something_ going on between them. But it could not be called a "relationship." Cain and Setsuka Heel had reduced the awkwardness between the two actors, made them more comfortable around each other, and had them trading secrets and jokes with ease and smiles.

"Hooray for hiding behind the façade of siblings," he grumbled, looking over a railing down into LA Hearts where Ren and Kyoko were currently having lunch with Yashiro acting as the uncomfortable third wheel at the table, trying to escape and being dragged over and over again back into the conversation. Beside Lory, Maria stood on her tiptoes, peeking over the edge as best as she could and frowning.

"What do you mean, Grandpa? Aren't they having fun? And they're keeping Yashiro-san there, so no one will gossip about them like they did earlier in the summer. Poor Onee-sama. It was such a shock for her."

"I still haven't forgiven Ren for that," Lory muttered. "It was a perfect opportunity and not only did he let it pass, he bungled it so badly that _this_ is the result. I could kill him."

"Grandpa, you can't keep trying to set them up together. _I'm_ going to marry Ren-sama."

"At this rate, you just might," her grandfather agreed with a pout. "Why are they so slow!"

"Onee-sama isn't interested in men," Maria reminded her grandfather. "She keeps telling you that. Why won't you let it go?"

"Because she's lying," Lory said firmly. "I'm sure of it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was already passionately, overwhelmingly in love with Ren and just too silly to do anything about it."

"If she was in love with him, she would have told me," Maria challenged with a touch of asperity. "She'd let me know so that we could be proper rivals."

"Maria, have you ever considered that she could be aware of her feelings and might be hiding them because she thinks that you have a better chance of snagging Ren, even with the age gap?" His granddaughter stared and blinked.

"But… But… That makes no sense! Onee-sama is a good person and would tell me! She wouldn't imagine such a crazy thing."

"So you don't think you would beat her?" Lory asked, amused. Maria blushed.

"Of all the girls Ren-sama knows," she said with as much haughtiness as she could muster, "he likes Onee-sama and I the best. If he had to pick one of us right now, he'd pick her because of his work and his image. But since Onee-sama doesn't want him, I have time to grow up and be far too pretty and amazing for anyone to complain."

"Do you want to take him from Mogami-kun?"

"I'm not taking him! He's both of ours, and she doesn't want him for anything special." Lory sighed.

"I wonder," he mused, looking back down again into the dining area, watching Kyoko sigh and bury her face in her hands as Ren and his manager walked away down the hall. She did not look like a girl who was in emotional equilibrium. "Would you hate her if she did love Ren?"

"Why? I might punish her for not telling me, but Ren-sama is the best. Of course she would fall in love with him."

"What about Ren? Do you think he could fall in love with her?"

"Well, he does already love her," Maria pointed out. "He takes care of her and worries about her and is a good friend to her. Kind of like a brother. And she is amazing. I guess he would only have to notice that she is a woman and she could trap him."

"So how would you suggest pointing out to him that Kyoko is a woman?" Lory asked, trying to restrain an amused smile.

"Well, he sees her looking pretty all the time. I guess that doesn't affect him very much." Lory choked on a snort, but Maria did not notice. "Maybe he thinks she's too young? After all, she is still in her teens, and people treat Ren-sama like he's in his late twenties, even though he's only four years older than her."

"Age might be the problem," Lory agreed. "But I don't know-" Suddenly, he smiled. One of those smiles that Maria had come to dread. "Maria, Kyoko's birthday this year will be her eighteenth, right?"

"Yes. But I don't see why that-"

"You don't need to. Come on. We've got plans to make. We'll need to have our Christmas party early this year, by the way."

"Why?"

"Because Kyoko and Ren are going to be busy on your birthday. They'll be out of town."

"What? But they didn't say anything yesterday when I talked to them!"

"That's because they don't know it yet." Maria groaned as her grandfather practically skipped up to his office, stroking his chin and grinning madly.

* * *

 

"Hello President," Kyoko greeted with a bow, taking the proffered chair and smoothing her skirt as she sat down. He gave her a smile.

"Hello Mogami-kun. I'm glad to see you are in good spirits. Are you looking forward to Christmas?"

"Yes. Maria gave me the invitation to her party just now. I was a little sad that she didn't invite me to help, but she insisted that I be just a guest this year. I guess she was worried about me being trapped in the kitchen again."

"She's a good girl," Lory agreed. "How are you and Ren doing?" He noticed her stiffen for a second before she answered.

"No one really comments about us anymore," she answered. "We mostly only meet openly at LME, and the staff here doesn't encourage rumors spreading, thanks to you. Everyone else has accepted that we are just friends since _Dark Moon_ and that is all."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Well, I think it's strange to think that Tsuruga-san would take me as a friend, but he keeps telling me I shouldn't think like that and I'm getting better about not 'talking myself down' all the time," she answered, her mouth awkwardly forming Ren's frustrated reprimand.

"Well, I suppose that's better than it could be," Lory sighed, adjusting something on his desk so that his Father Christmas sleeve would stop getting caught on it. "Have you two been getting enough time together?"

"Sir? We see each other from time to time, as one would expect, since he's so busy all the time. Sometimes we'll talk on the phone if something time sensitive comes up."

"I guess I'm just wondering if you've finished adjusting. I know both of you had some problems right after you stopped acting as Cain and Setsuka. It was an abrupt transition and I think that contributed to the rumors that started floating around back in July."

Kyoko winced. "It's still a little strange sometimes," she admitted slowly. "Especially when he's making fun of me. I have a hard time remembering to not call him Cain and start responding like Setsu would. I still don't see why people think I was flirting with him though." Lory did not answer. He would not have been able to keep a straight face.

"Well, I've been thinking about it," he told her. "I do feel like you and Ren did not have time to say goodbye to those characters, like you have with your others. No ending party or anything like that."

"Does every drama or movie end with a cast party?"

"I suppose not. But the party does add a sense of closure, wouldn't you agree? You don't have trouble with accidentally becoming Natsu or Mio, do you?"

"Not really. Although, I don't see most of the cast from _Dark Moon_ or _Box R_."

"True. Well, I'll think about it some more. Have you had any job offers over Christmas?"

"Just the one tomorrow. Not over the holiday itself."

"Ah. The commercial. Are you excited?"

"Well, it's not my first commercial, so I feel more calm than I have about my role in _Fading Summers_. I've never had a male costar that is the villain with me, and I was worried about that, even though it has turned out alright so far. I feel like I know what to expect with the commercial a bit more."

"How are you handling Shizuka's character for your drama?"

"Well, her obsession with her partner is a little hard to convey, but the director hasn't complained about it yet. And Tsuruga-san has helped explain some things to me that have helped."

"Really?" Kyoko flushed.

"Yes. It's really remarkable how good of a professional he is. I wish I could be that dedicated to acting."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine. As for the commercial, it's for gifts that are perfect for Christmas couples right? Sounds like your taking the LoveMe initiative seriously." Kyoko's face darkened slightly.

"Yes. It's not something I would normally like, but I don't have any conflicts, and I feel that it would be arrogant to turn down an offer that I need and might help my image. And Tsuruga-san pointed out that if I ever wanted to be cast in my ideal roles, I would need to learn how to act romantically, because most of the characters that I would want to play would most likely be involved in a romance."

"How thoughtful of him."

"I'm grateful that he's willing to scold me when I become ridiculous."

"Well, I hope you two will continue to get along. And I'll see what I can do about a cast party for Cain and Setsuka. You two deserve a break anyway."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

Kyoko sat stiffly next to Ren on his couch, trying valiantly not to cuddle up to him, put her arms around his neck, and tuck her head under his chin. The hardest part about getting used to touching Cain had been accepting how easy it was to touch her senpai. When her own embarrassment should have stopped her, Kyoko had simply stopped thinking and let her limbs do what they wanted. They had wanted to be around Ren. A lot. Now it was a hard habit to fight.

"So the filming went well?"

"Yes. My costar was pretty well behaved. It was his first time acting in an even slightly romantic role as well, so he was a bit stiff at first, but once I convinced him that I wasn't any more experienced than he was, he seemed to settle down some."

"Did he ask for your number?" She felt a certain tenseness coming from his side of the couch.

"Yes. How did you know? I told him I only had a work phone and I didn't feel comfortable using it for personal calls, which I felt bad about later because I realized I call you all the time."

"Well, normally it's about something related to your work." He had relaxed. She was not sure what had bothered him, but she tried not to think about it too much anymore. He always reassured her that she was not the source of his anger, and she could not ever figure out why he did get angry. The closest she had ever come to an answer was Kanae suggesting again that he was jealous, but why Tsuruga Ren would be jealous of anything having to do with her, Kyoko had no idea.

"Anyway, the filming went well. We mostly held hands and showed off the gifts that we had been given. He kissed my cheek once. Well, a half dozen times because he kept blushing afterwards and the director said he was being silly."

Ren's hand reached out and stroked her cheek a few times, his gaze a bit serious. "Were you alright?"

"Yes. I remembered what you said about acting and getting used to touching my costars. I just pretend it isn't me, which is more or less true anyway. And I try to be as professional as I can afterwards, so that they don't mistake my behavior as anything other than a temporary work arrangement."

"See? You're doing just fine," he smiled, stroking her cheek one more time. She wished he would stop. She was having a hard time not leaning into his hand. "You've grown a lot these last couple of years, haven't you?"

"Well, in some ways," she agreed with a sigh. "In others I'm as ignorant as ever. I'm really worried about what I'm going to do later when I'm given roles that are even more romantic. I don't know how I'm going to hide my ignorance, even if I am professional enough to not let the actual contact bother me."

"You'll cross that bridge when you come to it," Ren reassured her. He changed the subject abruptly. "Are you ready for Maria's Christmas party?"

"Yes. I was surprised that it was so soon. I don't know if I'll be able to finish her gift by this weekend. But I think she'll like it."

"Is it another doll?" Ren asked in amusement. Kyoko stuttered for a few moments before she found her voice again.

"I didn't mean to be officious! And it isn't another doll, I promise. I haven't given one to anyone else, I swear! And I got rid of most of my old ones and-" She stopped, slamming her hand over her mouth as she realized what she had just said. Ren had an odd look on his face, a bit dazed and slightly amused.

"You have your own dolls of me? More than one?" Kyoko whimpered. Ren tried to hide his laughter by covering his mouth, but he was very soon in stitches, hunched over and trying not to fall onto the floor.

"It isn't funny!" Kyoko snapped. Ren snorted and tried to compose himself, tears in the corners of his eyes.

"So, what do you do with these dolls?" he asked with a smile, another chuckle escaping.

"Nothing," was her biting retort. "I just make them. It started from me being too cheap to buy voodoo dolls and turned into… that." His amusement made her anger flare, but she was glad that he was not angry at her. Really, it was embarrassing how many tiny versions of him that she had lying around. And it had been incredibly hard to get rid of her old ones.

"You aren't cursing me with them, are you?"

"No! How could I be so ungrateful?"

"Well, then I guess there is no harm in it." He paused for a moment, looking at her thoughtfully. "How realistic are they?"

"You saw Maria's, didn't you?"

"Yes. That wasn't exactly what I meant." Kyoko felt her cheeks burning.

"Oh, you mean- I don't- Umm. They're not… completely realistic," she tried, twisting her fingers together. "That would be… wrong."

"I guess so." Kyoko stared. Did this man have no sense of decency?

"It would be very, very wrong," she told him sternly. "Completely inappropriate. And I couldn't do it," she added.

"Why?"

"Don't ask indecent questions!" Ren chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"But you make such cute faces," he smiled, making her freeze. "How else am I going to get to see them?"

"Nii-san," she sighed, "you're not supposed to come out and play anymore. We're done working now." Ren frowned.

"Why is it that every time that I compliment you, you assume that Cain is the one talking?"

"Isn't it?" she asked, confused. "Because Tsuruga-san would have no reason to say those sorts of things to me." He leaned back, covering his eyes with his hand.

"Sometimes, I am very scared for you," he groaned. "I shouldn't keep letting you come over and cook me dinner. You're just way too vulnerable."

"Huh?"

"Time for you to go home," he said, standing and offering her his hand, ignoring her confusion. "Your landlords will be waiting."

"…Right."

* * *

Maria looked out over the guests and smiled happily. She and her grandfather had worked hard for this party, and she was proud of the results. The guests were chatting merrily over delicious food, the dance floor was full of twirling and laughter, and the entrance this year was much less ostentatious. Even if it was garnering a good deal of attention.

"Still busy?" a voice asked from behind her, amused and a bit wistful. Maria turned around and jumped into her father's arms. He had arrived that morning and spent the day with her. It had been a bit awkward at first, but they both had adjusted. Maria had had to leave him early to prepare for the party and was glad to see him again. He held her for a long moment before putting her down again and straightening her dress. "You've done an excellent job."

"Thank you. Grandfather did most of the hard work though. And he helped me when I got stuck. I'll be done greeting guests soon though. Once Onee-sama and Ren-sama get here that should be everyone. Based on when they said they would arrive, they should get here last."

"Tsuruga-san is coming with a girl? That's a first."

"Because they are good friends," Maria said promptly, a small frown on her face. "Onee-sama doesn't want to be in a relationship and Ren-sama isn't interested in anyone. He always says so." Kuoki gave his daughter a smile, but he shook his head.

"Part of being a celebrity is protecting people that you care about by pretending to be less interested in them than you actually are. Your mother was very careful with what she told reporters when she was dating me. Even after we were married she tended to be very careful about what she said in interviews. If Tsuruga-san was interested in a girl, he might try and protect her by not talking about it, especially since he is so popular."

"I suppose…" Maria mumbled, glancing off towards the entrance to see if her favorite people had arrived yet.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," her father told her. "I'll go mingle for a little longer and you can come and find me when you're ready."

"Yes!"

* * *

Kyoko stepped out of the car and accepted Ren's hand with a bit of concern. She made sure her feet were stable before she let go. While she thought the dress and shoes were beautiful, she felt like she was going to fall over in the tall, thin heels. She was used to pretending she was unbothered by her clothing, but she would always prefer traditional Japanese outfits, where both her feet were placed firmly on the ground.

"Relax," Ren told her, linking his arm through hers. "You look stunning. You'll fit right in. And Maria would be glad to see you even if you showed up in rags."

"Would she be glad to see me with a twisted ankle?" Kyoko mumbled, earning a chuckled from her escort. "How did you convince me to let you do this?"

"I said please," he answered. "And you wanted to dress up for this anyway."

"The president volunteered to get me something if I needed it. And you told me not to randomly accept clothing from men."

"But it wasn't random. This is a very specific event. And we're friends, aren't we?"

"It was the shameless puppy face," Kyoko grumbled. "If you would just stop using that I would be able to say no."

"Well, that's a very poor incentive for me to stop using it. Come on. I think I just saw Kotonami-san enter."

Ren was right. Kanae had arrived just ahead of her best friend. But Kyoko's first glimpse of her was in the middle of the entryway, grinding something under her foot as a couple of footmen tried to revive a young man lying on the floor next to her. Kyoko recognized the man as one of Kanae's costars in her current drama.

"Mo- Kanae-san, what's wrong?" she asked in a worried tone, releasing Ren and hurrying over to her friend. "Did you… Moko-san did you hit him?"

"Mistletoe," Kanae spat, glaring down at the boy on the floor and jabbing her finger at the green smudge under her toes. "Our president's idea, no doubt. That… _man_ was standing the closest to me when I walked in." Kanae looked behind Kyoko to see Ren with a slightly disappointed look on his face. "You're lucky I got here first," she observed.

"Oh yes," Kyoko agreed a bit breathlessly, trying to not imagine what might have happened if Kanae had not ground the offensive plant under her foot. If Ren had not been the one to kiss her, which would have been plenty terrifying, she might have had to give her lips to a stranger.

"Should we all head in?" Ren asked. "I think Maria isn't going to stop laughing until we greet her, and the president looks like he's about to cry."

"Well, he shouldn't come up with stupid ideas if he doesn't want his feelings hurt," Kanae snapped, grabbing Kyoko and hauling the girl into the room. "Come on. Let's go say hello to our hosts."

Kyoko smiled and allowed herself to be dragged along, greeting Maria and Lory happily, pleasantly ignorant of the looks she was getting. When picking her outfit, Ren had balanced showiness and modesty wonderfully, knowing what she would find comfortable, knowing how much he could handle, and knowing how much he wanted other people looking at her. The dress was white, long, and slim. Her hair had been pinned back simply and her makeup was natural. Ren was proud of the results and was glad that Kyoko had not argued with him too much as she had been dressed.

"Did you tell her the dress was a birthday present, or did you come up with some other trick to get her to wear it?" Lory asked as he shook Ren's hand.

"Other trick. I'm still working on the birthday present and I don't need to have another fight with her over whether or not I'm allowed to get her two gifts."

"I'm shocked there isn't a paper bag for her head in that ensemble."

"She's an actress, President. People are going to look at her a lot. I don't have to like it, but I do have to learn to live with it."

"Sometimes it amazes me how mature you can pretend to be."

Lory was distracted then by Maria, who wanted to know where her father was. She dragged Kyoko and Kanae off to greet Kuoki and left Ren to glance around in search of other people he should be greeting. He spotted Yashiro in a corner talking to several other people, but decided not to approach. His manager did not always have time to relax and socialize, and even if Yashiro did relax around Ren when they were alone, if they were in public together he always behaved like he was at work. Director Ogata was in another corner and Ren went to say hello, congratulating the director on his upcoming movie. Once he moved across the room, Ren caught people's attention and was quickly surrounded and bombarded with questions and season's greetings.

"He looks like he's going to die," Kanae commented as she and Kyoko visited the buffet table, getting food for themselves and the younger Takaradas. "I mean, he's smiling, but he's being mobbed. It doesn't seem real."

"He's more likely to kill someone," Kyoko commented offhandedly. Kanae shuddered.

"How can you like someone like that?"

"I respect him," Kyoko said firmly, her hand clenching around her drink. "Having a temper and still behaving politely is a good skill to have, especially as an actor." She was quiet for a long moment, her face distant. "And I think he's worked very hard to get to where he is."

"You're never going to tell me what happened, are you?" Kanae asked with a huff, grabbing her own glass and carefully balancing two plates. "That whole fiasco this summer didn't just spring from nowhere, and I know it."

"I already said-"

"You can't talk about it. Fine. I get it. I'm not angry about you keeping secrets anymore. We've made up and are friends again. But that doesn't mean I'm not worried." She watched Kyoko for a moment and sighed. "You do realize your eyes haven't left him for more than a minute since you walked in, right?"

Kyoko paled, her eyes growing huge. Her lip started to tremble. "Please, Moko-san, don't say it. Please, please don't say it again. It's not- I'm not- I won't look anymore. I'm not obsessed or crazy or desperate or anything, I swear!"

"Mo, would you calm down! Maria-chan is going to have a heart attack if she sees you like that. I'm not going to say anything so calm down. I'm not trying to attack you. It was a friendly warning, so that no one else gets ideas."

"Thank you," Kyoko gasped, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I'll be alright now."

"Would it be so terrible," Kanae asked, "if you did have feelings for him?"

"Moko-san, we've talked about this. I can't-"

"Take a chance falling in love again. I know. I heard you. But if your biggest concern is how he acts towards you, then would it be so horrid if you liked him? If you can like him and behave the way you do now and he doesn't have a clue, would it really be that dangerous?"

"Yes." Kanae gave Kyoko a cold stare.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing. I just-"

"When you feel like being honest," Kanae snapped, "we can be best friends again. I don't care if it is just lying to yourself, I don't need a friend or a rival that can't be honest." She stormed off before Kyoko could answer, handing over the food she had brought and starting a conversation with Kuoki about his work. Kyoko did not interrupt her, but devoted her attention to Maria, smiling as cheerfully as she could. She would not embarrass her friend, her boss, or her senpai by breaking down into tears right here. She had been through enough painful experiences over the past several months to have learned how to keep a straight face in front of strangers.

She would cry herself to sleep alone, where no one was listening. It was easier to pretend she felt nothing in that solitary darkness.

* * *

"Mogami-kun, Ren, come here!" Lory called, waving them over to the gift table. Most of the guests had left already. Kuoki had taken Maria up to bed with her new stuffed rabbit, Kyoko's present, and Ren had thought it was finally time to get Kyoko home. She looked very tired. And stressed.

"What is it?" Kyoko asked, glancing around. Lory smiled.

"My present to you. Don't worry, Yashiro and I worked on it together so everything should be perfect."

"Sir?" Ren asked, his brow furrowing. Anything Yashiro had helped with meant schedule rearranging. Any changes in scheduling meant-

"You're going on vacation!" he told the nervous couple, throwing his arms up in the air and smiling. "The theme for the trip is 'Family Centered Christmas' and the two of you get to spend Christmas with your families."

Ren and Kyoko both stiffened.

"I don't think-" Ren began.

"I know. You don't think you have time, and it could be troublesome, and then there's this thing where you don't want anyone meeting your parents," Lory agreed, waving these concerns away with his hand. "But this is a special family Christmas. You'll be spending it with your sister." Ren's eyes narrowed.

"Sir, I don't have a sister."

"And Mogami-kun doesn't have an older brother. Yes, yes, I know. Jelly will have to prep you before you leave, but I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun. And I'll be sending you down to Kyoto, so it should be nice and nostalgic for both of you."

"Tsuruga-san has been to Kyoto?" Kyoko asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"When I was younger, yes. I lived there for a very brief period of time."

"Since he won't let anyone meet his parents, and since I promised you a cast party, I figured a vacation in Kyoto would be best," Lory explained. "You'll get to wrap up your roles as siblings at long last, and since you did live there for a long time, you should be able to visit people once the roles are over, Mogami-kun. I know you may not really want to see anyone, but this is a chance for you to try. And you won't be alone," he added gently.

"I would hate to inconvenience Tsuruga-san by dragging him along," Kyoko protested. "I'm sure he has better things to do than-"

"We'll go," Ren interrupted. "It will be good for both of us to get out and have a vacation."

"Excellent. You'll head out on the twenty second and have two days in character before Christmas itself. Hopefully you can wrap things up in that time. Then is Kyoko's eighteenth birthday, and since you'll be the only one there to celebrate it with her, you better make it count, Ren."

Ren could not be absolutely sure, but he was fairly certain he had never wanted to strangle his boss more than he did just then. He opted for smiling more widely instead.

"I'm sure Kyoko's friends will want to celebrate with her before or after the trip."

"You're planning on shirking?" Lory asked with a large grin. "There's no day more special than the actual birthday, you know. And this is her eighteenth."

"President, Tsuruga-san doesn't have any obligation to do anything for me," Kyoko protested, looking between the men anxiously. "Honestly, I don't expect him to-"

"Mogami-san, the president is teasing me because he has been very bored lately. Don't mind what he says. I'll be happy to share your birthday with you, and I will not be troubled at all."

Kyoko nodded in acceptance, but was inwardly very concerned. This trip looked like a recipe for disaster, and Kyoko just wanted to go home and stay by herself. Let the president complain about his love initiative. She was not looking forward to Christmas anymore.


	2. Family Matters

It was the crying that had done it. And the promise to tell Kanae everything, but mostly the crying. After all, there was only so much wretched sobbing that a best friend could take before she caved and forgave. So Kanae had forgiven Kyoko and apologized for using harsh words at the Christmas party and invited Kyoko into her own home. And now she was very glad she did so, because apparently Kyoko was in a crisis.

"So you're actually in love with him?" Kanae asked, leaning up against the wall and watching Kyoko for any signs of panic or mania. The creature now hiccupping in the corner seemed very close to complete and total breakdown.

"No! Yes. Maybe…" Kyoko clutched her head and shook it savagely. "I'm always thinking about him, and sometimes… sometimes I imagine it. What it would be like if we were together. But I can never see the same thing twice, which is what scares me. I can't see it being reality. I always cut off partway because even though I can imagine what I would do, I can't picture him responding in any way."

"I can," Kanae grumbled. "I think your imagination runs a little too much on the pure side for you to manage it though." Kyoko turned red.

"But why would he _want_ to even touch me?" she demanded. "I know I want to touch him sometimes. His hair, or his face, or his hands. And sometimes I…" She hesitated, choking a little. "I want to _hug_ him. But if we aren't acting I can't see him wanting the same."

"Why wouldn't he love you?"

"Because I'm a plain and boring girl with no sex appeal. And no experience," she added with a sigh. "He said something once about me being a pure hearted girl and not doing anything to me because of it being troublesome if I were to cry. I don't think he sees me as mature enough to be a potential love interest. And I'm grateful!" she added forcefully. "If I have so little experience, he certainly has too much!"

"Well, I can't argue with that," Kanae agreed. "You don't hear about him having any girlfriends, but he's too much of a Casanova and too good at manipulating women to never have been in a relationship with one. Although, if he honestly said that he wouldn't lay his hands on you, I have to say he's pretty arrogant. He can barely keep his eyes off you. I don't know how he thinks he can be put alone in a room with you and not try and touch you."

"Moko-san, what are you talking about?"

"Mo, you're seriously going to sit there and tell me that you haven't once in all the times that he's stared at you, noticed anything at all? You haven't ever seen him look at you and wonder? He's a ladykiller. His eyes probably light up all funny when he's making a move." Kanae froze as Kyoko turned pale and shivered.

"There might have been… but it didn't seem like what you said. I mean…" she trailed off, clearly trying to think through this new way of looking at the situation. "It might have been the outfit," she mumbled, more to herself than anything.

"What outfit?" Kanae demanded. "What outfit did you wear that made him look at you like you were some kind of small animal he was about to devour."

"No, the devouring look was earlier," Kyoko said absently. "And that was much more scary because it was much more like a monster than a ladykiller."

"What. Did. He. Do?" Kanae growled. Kyoko jumped, recalling where she was.

"Oh, nothing! He never did anything. Well, the monster time he stepped over me and walked away, then grabbed me and pulled me into an alley to tell me it was him after I had recovered the feeling in my legs. But the other time he just took me to get new clothes. I think he realized I wasn't very comfortable in the ones I was wearing."

"What were you wearing?" Kanae asked, knowing she was not going to get any straight answers to such a confusing situation. Kyoko flinched.

"I can't really say," she hedged. Kanae raised a disbelieving brow. "Oh fine. It was a leather min skirt with this horrid top that was cut horribly low and didn't cover most of my waist." Kanae blinked, unable to imagine Kyoko in such an outfit.

"And he kept his hands off of you?"

"Of course! He doesn't see anything in me that would be attractive. He was probably just concerned with me wearing something that was so troublesome to move around in, and that had clearly made me uncomfortable."

"Why are you so dense?" Kanae demanded in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose and breathing slowly. "How on earth are you going to survive if you keep thinking like this?"

"Moko-san I don't think –"

"You're right. You don't think. You just do what you want and ignore other people's feelings. You're probably driving him crazy, acting like this all the time. Mo, you drive me crazy, don't you."

"Moko-san!" Kyoko gasped, distressed. "I didn't mean to! I swear! What did I do?"

"You take his feelings for granted," Kanae grunted. "Everything he does, you assume he's got this perfect, gentle reason for what he does and that he isn't being selfish at all. How long are you going to delude yourself into believing he has no ulterior motives when it comes to you?"

"Moko-san, I really don't think that Tsuruga-san loves me. I know that you think he acts jealous a lot and that he pays too much attention to me, but I think he just doesn't have any other friends. If he had a guy that he could hang out with, he'd probably spend much less time with me."

"You're hopeless," Kanae sighed. She watched Kyoko shift uncomfortably and shook her head. "Look, what are you going to do about this trip to Kyoto?"

"Well, part of it will be work," Kyoko said slowly. "So I don't think that will be too hard. I know what I'm supposed to do for my job, and knowing what to expect helps. As for the rest… I'm thinking of going to see Shotaro's parents."

"Really?" Kanae was shocked. She had not imagined that would be part of Kyoko's plans.

"Yes. The president wants us to make this a family Christmas, and they were the closest thing that I had to family and I owe them an explanation of why I left them with Sho instead of trying to convince him to stay."

"Do you think they'll be angry?"

"I think I don't want to think about it," Kyoko admitted, a cloud of gloom sinking over her brow as she tried to sink into the floor. "They gave me so much when I was younger, and I don't know if they want to have anything to do with me now."

"Sounds tough."

"I'm just glad Tsuruga-san will be there," Kyoko admitted. "He'll scold me for being silly and help me get through it without going crazy. But I'll probably need a shoulder to cry on when I get back," she said hopefully, her eyes sparkling at her friend. Kanae shook her head.

"You'd ruin my shirt. Use that playboy's shoulder. He probably has more shirts than he needs, and he'll be able to handle it. He's probably used to dealing with girls crying."

"Probably," Kyoko agreed with a sigh. Kanae said nothing else for several long moments. She was a little confused about what it was her job to accomplish here tonight. Kyoko needed to be aware of that guy's feelings, or she was going to put herself in danger by getting too close to him. But Kanae did not want to share her best friend with a guy. And she was not sure that Tsuruga Ren was worthy of Kyoko. The thing that confused Kanae the most was that she could not see Kyoko going through her life alone. Kanae was prepared for it. She did not want a family or children, and did not see the point in being in a relationship while she was trying to act. It would only complicate things. But Kyoko was such a _wholesome_ girl, it seemed impossible that she would ever get into shallow relationships that were transient, or that she would die alone. Kyoko exuded an aura that screamed "potential bride." It was creepy, but Kanae thought that marriage would suit Kyoko fine.

That left one question. Who was she going to marry? Would it be Tsuruga? Or would some other man accomplish what he had failed to do, and convince Kyoko that she was a woman who could be loved.

It was too complicated to think about tonight.

"Wait here," Kanae said firmly. "I'll be right back." She returned to the room a few minutes later with a small cake box in one hand and a gift in the other. Kyoko's eyes grew wide with pleasure. "Here. There's two cakes, one for you and one for me. You pick first. I made sure they were both ones that I would feel safe eating."

"Moko-saaaaaaaan!" Kyoko squealed, throwing herself at her best friend and sobbing happily. "You're the best friend eveeeeer!"

Kanae stumbled, nearly dropping the cakes. "Mo! Would you be careful? I'm going to fall over! And here's your present!"

After splitting both cakes between them and Kyoko opening the new fashionable scarf that Kanae had bought for her, Kanae volunteered to brush Kyoko's hair for a while before they went to bed. Kyoko nearly died of happiness.

"My best friend is brushing, brushing my hair," she sang under her breath, giggling giddily every few minutes. Kanae rolled her eyes.

"Do you think you should dye it back?" she asked suddenly. Before you head down? What will the Fuwa's think?" Kyoko winced.

"I don't think they'll like it," she admitted. "But I don't want to dye it back just for them. It would be like putting myself in their power again. And I don't want that."

"I guess not. But if you don't dye it back, how will you know if Tsuruga likes your natural hair color?"

"Moko-san!"

* * *

It was a six hour drive to Kyoto and probably one of the worst trips of Ren's life. He and Kyoko had started early in a rented car, so that Ren would not be recognized, and she had proceeded to fall asleep right away. Ren was a mostly rational human being, and realized that if he kept sneaking looks at her sleeping face he would crash into something and probably kill them both. So he kept both eyes on the road. But the temptation to check on her naggled him.

Then, when she woke up, she would not speak to him. Ren tried every trick in the book to start a conversation, but she was quiet and brooding. When he asked if something was wrong she told him she would tell him later. The best response he got was when he asked her if her scarf was new, which elicited a violent description of the small party Kanae had thrown for her and of the wonderful hair brushing experience. But partway through this Kyoko cut off abruptly, frowning.

"Tsuruga-san?"

"Yes?"

"Is there something wrong with my hair?"

"No?" he said, uncertain why she was asking.

"Would it look better if I stopped bleaching it?"

"I think you hair looks good no matter how I've seen you wear it," he answered cautiously. "I don't think you need to worry about it too much."

"Oh."

His last attempt at conversation had been to ask her what her plans were once they stopped their roles as the Heel siblings. She was so evasive about the topic that he decided it would be best to just leave her be. Obviously she had plans. They did not appear to include him.

* * *

Setsu exited the salon with Cain, her arm linked through his, smiling blissfully. It had been far too long since they had spent any real time together. The car they had rented through the boss was parked on the curb, and Lillian, a friend of Jelly's, called a farewell from the shop, smiling at the couple that was exiting. Lillian might not have been as talented as her friend, but she had been a part of Lory's network for at least as long and had her share of secrets she was keeping. She had only been told to keep quiet about the identity of the Heel siblings, but she could tell her boss had other plans for this couple from the moment they walked in. She hoped that his plans worked. He tended to get more crazy as his projects elongated, and she was not sure it was safe to press him much further than this.

Cain entered the car and turned to his sister. " **We've got some time before we need to check in for the night, but it might be good to park the car. You want to head to the hotel first?** "

" **I'll go wherever you want,** " she told him. " **I don't mind walking back to the car from wherever if you don't want to check in yet. We just need to make sure you eat on time.** "

" **Did you find any good restaurants you wanted to try while you were here? If we need the car to get to them, we can check in later.** "

" **There's a good place near the hotel we're staying at. And some shopping. You want park the car for today and we'll go out further tomorrow?** "

" **Sounds good.** "

Checking into the hotel took a little while since Cain's overbearing personality triggered an angry response to the bellhop's ogling of Setsuka and he was less than rational when he approached the front desk. The receptionist was more than a little frightened and nearly gave them the wrong room key. Thankfully, he recognized his mistake and fixed it before they took their luggage upstairs. Setsuka collapsed onto one of the beds, sighing happily as her brother stashed their bags and checked the room, throwing her a set of keys.

" **They gave us two rooms for some reason. You staying here or there?** "

" **I stay with you, silly.** "

" **Should we get rid of the other room? If we're not going to use it?** "

" **Nah. Boss probably got it to make fun of us. We can charge him for it. Maybe we'll find a use for it before we leave.** "

" **We sharing a bed tonight?** "

" **Well that depends on whether or not you finish your dinner** ," she answered with a coy smile. He answered with his own smile.

" **Well that depends on if you pick a place with good food. I have very specific tastes you know.** "

" **I know. Alcohol and tobacco. Don't worry. I picked a place where you can smoke if you'd like.** "

" **I thought you didn't like it when I smoked**."

" **I always love you.** "

" **Always?** " he asked, suddenly serious, walking over and grabbing her hands, pulling her up. She rolled her eyes.

" **Always. I will always love you. Forever and ever. The most.** "

" **I love you too** ," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. " **The most. Forever and ever.** " Kyoko relaxed, allowing Setsuka to embrace her brother, memorizing the moment so she could look back on it someday. When all of this was over and her senpai did not put up with her anymore. " **Let's go shopping,** " he said suddenly, patting her face a few times and dragging her towards the door. She tripped a bit trying to keep up and whined.

" **Cain!** "

* * *

Setsuka looked across the table as she kicked her brother's shin, frowning when he continued to ignore her. He took another sip of his drink and kept his eyes on the bags on the floor next to him. They contained the scandalous amounts of gifts he had bought for his sister in the two hours that they had been "window shopping" and constituted the better part of Kyoko's monthly paycheck. The worst part was that they were just cute enough Ren would probably get away with giving them to her when they were finished with this charade. It was the most expensive Christmas she had ever experienced, and she felt a bit ill knowing that she had no way to refuse him, even once their acting was over. Cain would not return the gifts, Tsuruga Ren could not, and even if Kyoko volunteered to, it was likely that Ren would guilt her into accepting them. He had strangely strong feelings about Kyoko returning the things Cain had bought for Setsuka.

" **Cain.** "

" **Yes?** "

" **I'm ready to go.** "

" **You haven't had dessert.** "

" **I'm on a diet.** " He frowned.

" **There's nothing wrong with your weight. Who told you that?** "

" **It's my 'get my brother to stop spending too much money on me' diet. It involves me not ordering dessert when you've already bought me enough clothes to wear for a whole month.** "

" **A month? It's barely enough to get you through a week, I thought. We'll need to get more tomorrow.** "

" **Cain,** " she sighed, " **you can't keep buying me stuff. It isn't good for me. I'll get spoiled.** "

" **Impossible.** " Kyoko chewed her lip, fiddling with her fake lip piercing.

" **I won't sleep with you tonight if you don't return some of the clothes and let me skip dessert.** " Cain stared at her for a long moment, that strange glint in his eyes. Kyoko swallowed, uncertain suddenly if it was really Setsuka's brother looking at her, or Tsuruga Ren. Something felt off, and she wondered if it was actually either of them.

" **I'll return two pairs of pants and three of the shirts,** " he said slowly. " **And the skull earrings.** "

" **Deal,** " Setsuka answered. Kyoko was glad he was getting rid of the earrings. Setsuka might wear them, but Kyoko could not imagine an occasion that would call for her to do so. And they were real silver, so they had not been cheap.

After two quick stops to return the promised clothing, in which Setsuka convinced Cain to return another full outfit, the two of them made their way back to the hotel, holding hands. Cain went to shower while his sister unpacked. By the time she had finished, he had returned and she showered briefly before returning to the room. She found him sitting at the head of the bed, his eyes closed as he leaned up against the wall, mumbling under his breath. Setsuka approached and flopped into his lap, cuddling up and giggling when he pulled her into a tight hug, nuzzling her head and tickling her sides gently. She retaliated with a quick elbow to his ribs, and he responded by rolling over, pinning her to the bed as he hovered over her. Suddenly the light was back in his eyes.

" **How old are you tonight?** " he asked suddenly. Setsuka blinked.

" **I'm seventeen, Cain. Same as last night. And the night before.** " The light disappeared. Cain wandered over to the other bed and got in, pulling the covers up over his head.

" **You're on your own tonight,** " he told her. " **For beating up on me when we were playing.** "

" **That's not fair,** " Setsuka whined, while Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. She had gotten used to sharing a sleeping space with Cain while they had been working when he seemed to be losing his mind. It was a little different now. She was glad that he had come up with an excuse.

" **Your fault,** " he answered, curling up into his usual bugworm position. Kyoko said nothing else, but got under the covers without complaining. Maybe Setsuka would have tried harder, or joined Cain on the other bed. But this was supposed to be a wrap up party for her and Tsuruga-san. Encouraging Setsuka's bad habits would be counterproductive. Besides, tonight, Ren frightened her just a little.

* * *

Cain watched his sister sort through a clothing rack, mentally storing all the outfits that caught her eye. He would buy most of them while she went to try things on. It was his duty as an elder brother.

Ren, meanwhile, was racking his brain for what on earth he was going to give Kyoko for her birthday. He knew it was going to have to be something special, because with all the clothing he was going to force on her, if he tried anything traditional, it would be expensive and she would find some way to refuse it. He also wanted to celebrate in some way the fact that it was her eighteenth birthday. Just not the way the president wanted him to. Even if in the next forty-eight hours Ren managed to confess to Kyoko and she accepted him, he would not be asking her to dive headfirst into an incredibly intimate relationship with him. She would not be ready for it, and he had the feeling that barring his marriage to her, she would never be ready for it. That was just the kind of girl that Kyoko was.

He leaned against the window and glanced out at the street, the shop across the way catching his eye. It appeared to be some kind of costume shop. He gazed disinterestedly at the display until something caught his eye. He stared for a few moments, considered, then shook his head. There was no justification to purchase _that_.

Twenty minutes later, while Setsu was trying things on in a different store, Cain snuck into the costume shop and exited four minutes later with a bag draped over his arm, tucked behind the other bags for Setsuka.

Lunch was a grand affair, Cain picking the place and Setsuka looking around nervously at the posh surroundings. Kyoko knew that they were supposed to finish over lunch. They technically had the rest of the day to spend as siblings, but they had both agreed that ending as quickly as possible would be best for both of them. Lillian needed to change them back into their regular selves, and she wanted to take Christmas Eve off of work as well as Christmas day. The afternoon of the twenty-third was perfect. She would be closing early, and the Heel siblings would be her last customers.

" **Cain, I thought I told you I was on a diet.** "

" **This is our last meal together here in Japan. I thought it should be nice.** "

" **I don't think you spending this much money on me is a good idea. It's like saying that you have to buy my love, or something. I love you anyways, you know.** " He took her hand as that sat down at their table.

" **I know. But think of it from my perspective. If I'm a filthy rich actor who doesn't buy nice things for my sister and treat her like a princess, what kind of older brother am I?** "

He had Kyoko at "princess." Setsuka might not have been what Kyoko typically thought of when people talked of fairytale princesses, but she was her brother's princess. Cain treated Setsuka royally, and Kyoko could buy into that. She just wished she was not the one benefitting from all of his generosity.

" **How should we say goodbye to Japan?** " Setsuka asked, sipping from her water glass after the waiter had taken their orders.

" **We could visit Kyomizu-dera and see the Jishu-jinja.** "

" **Why do we need to visit the love shrine?** "

" **I just thought it would be funny.** " Kyoko squirmed. Visiting a shrine known for matchmaking with Tsuruga Ren while he was acting as her brother seemed perilously close to blasphemous. Besides, as a girl who had sworn off of love, she had no reason to go there. She could see lightening shooting out of the sky to strike her down as she tried to pass through the gate.

" **Were you going to guide me between the stones?** " she asked mockingly, trying to hide her discomfort.

" **Did you have someone else in mind? I don't imagine anyone else is going to be a good intermediary to finding you a romance. Or did you want to walk it alone and abandon me?** "

" **I just thought it was silly. But if you want to…** "

* * *

A number of legends accompanied the Kyomizu temple in Kyoto, especially at the Jishu shrine. Two "love stones" were supposed to be popular tests for people interested in finding relationships. Walking to one in a straight line from the other marked a promising love future. Having a friend guide you meant an intermediary might be involved. An acceptable method was also to have your love interest guide you.

The idea of Ren, or Cain, helping Kyoko find her true love, or even be her true love, was more than a little frightening. But Cain had been oddly persistent. " **Walking between the stones will be our journey in Japan,** " he had said. " **From one point to the next. We did it together.** "

Kyoko had just nodded mutely.

It was cold, but not quite freezing. Kyoko huddled into her long coat as they climbed the steps to the shrine, wincing as they passed through the gate. She thought she heard Cain chuckle, but might have been mistaken. He seemed fairly serious. His hand when he took hers to guide her between the stones was firm, gripping a bit tightly.

" **Just trust me. I'll tell you if you need to watch out for anything.** "

" **I do trust you, Cain. I know you love me.** "

" **Just don't forget it,** " he told her, tugging her forward as she scrunched her eyes closed even further. His grip never let up as he led her along, and Kyoko felt her fingers begin to tingle as the blood ran thin in them. There was also a warm feeling shooting up her arm, but she tried to ignore it. Before long he had stopped. " **We're here.** "

She opened her eyes to look at the stone in front of them and swallowed slowly.

" **We did it,** " she said quietly. " **This is the end.** "

" **And the beginning,** " he told her. Kyoko just sighed and let him pull her out of the way of the next person.

* * *

The car was silent. Ren had not been opposed to Kyoko's request that he drive her to the Fuwa's ryokan. He had watched her quietly as she had explained her situation and her desire. He had accepted her thoughts as rational and even complimented her on her rationality and behavior. But he also seemed to sense that this was difficult for her and did not make any further comment. When her hands started to tremble one of his clasped them firmly, but he still said nothing.

The entrance to the ryokan made Kyoko halt and close her eyes in a wordless prayer. Ren placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging nod as she opened the door and stepped in.

Fuwa Setsuie was ready to greet her guests at the front entrance and bowed with a perfect grace that Ren could easily see Kyoko had learned from. Her smile for the new guests was perfect, her form and image pleasant, and her manner of greeting was flawless.

"Welcome. I hope you find your stay in our establishment comfortable. How can I help you today?"

"Setsuie-sama," Kyoko said timidly, bowing as naturally as she could and meeting the okami's eyes when she straightened again. There was a moment of confusion, then the dawning of comprehension, pleasure, and uncertainty as Sho's mother noticed Ren standing next to Kyoko, silent and imposing.

"Kyoko-chan. It's been a while, hasn't it? Is this your boyfriend?"

"Oh no. Tsuruga-san, this is Fuwa Setsuie, the okami-san of this ryokan. Setsuie-sama, this is my coworker and friend, Tsuruga Ren. He was kind enough to drive me out here since he had some business in Kyoto."

Setsuie looked between them for a long moment, then her smile brightened and she extended her hands towards Kyoko. "It's so good to see you again. We knew cutting ties with our son might keep you away, but my husband and I were hoping that you would come back. You had such a bright future and we were sorry to see you forced into such circumstances."

"Oh no," Kyoko demurred anxiously. "I really left all on my own at that time. And I left Sho on my own as well. I'm doing quite well now, as an actress. I just thought… I left so thoughtlessly after all that you and your husband had done for me. I wanted to apologize if I could, for everything."

"Thank you," Setsuie smiled. "Would you like to see how things are going on here? I know that you cared so much about our work here, and things have changed since you've been gone."

Kyoko blinked at the abrupt change in topic, but nodded and she and Ren began to follow the okami-san quietly.

It quickly became apparent to Ren even if it was not to Kyoko that Setsuie was trying to judge Kyoko's level of fitness as a future mistress of the establishment. The questions she put to Kyoko about the business were very pointed and demonstrated Kyoko's understanding very well. And once Kyoko began to show that her aptitude had not lessened, the truly troublesome comments began.

"This is where you and Shotaro used to hide when you wanted to skip out on lessons."

"Oh, do you remember when you would hide here during thunderstorms and Shotaro would sit with you?"

"You remember the family portraits? Shotaro proposed to you here, back when you were children, and promised this would be your family, didn't he?"

"Oh, we've expanded the baths again. Do you remember when we had the mixed bath and we would all bathe together as a family at the end of the day? You and Shotaro were so cute."

"Would you like to see the gardens? You and Shotaro used to play there together all the time. Even when he got older and had silly dreams, you would listen to him play out there, wouldn't you?"

Ren watched as Kyoko tried to explain that she and Sho had had a falling out, but Setsuie was relentless, smiling cheerfully and shaking her head at her foolish son.

"Really, he shouldn't have been so stubborn. He's always liked you the best of all the girls he knows. If only he would apologize. I'm sure he regrets it now. Just like leaving here. He must understand that he can't be a musician forever. I'm sure if he understood that my husband and I would forgive him if he came back, and if he felt like he had something sure to come back to, he would be done with his silly little dream."

"Sho doesn't take his work as a musician any more seriously than he took his lessons here," Kyoko admitted. "But he's very serious about being an entertainer. And he's serious about each of his songs. He does things his own way, but I don't think leaving for Tokyo made him miss this very much."

"Give him time," Setsuie said breezily. "He's still a child. He'll get older, understand his position. Want something more stable." Ren could tell the Kyoko was skeptical, but she did not argue any further. She simply followed Sho's mother through the gardens, glancing off in one direction from time to time. Ren had a feeling he knew what was distracting her. He used a moment when Setsuie was summoned by one of the other girls working at the ryokan to talk to Kyoko.

"You look like you need an escape," he smiled. "Should I stall her while you go and visit your fairy prince?" Kyoko blushed and shook her head.

"I can't leave you here," she answered quietly. "She'll probably try and probe you for information."

"I've been dealing with reporters and interviews for years. I can handle her. And you want to go visit that place, don't you? Even if he isn't there? Because you still love it?" Kyoko nodded.

"Do you mind?"

"Go," he urged. "Even if he isn't there, you might still find some magic. I'll handle things here."

"Thank you," Kyoko whispered as Setsuie returned.

"Is something wrong?" she asked as Kyoko hurriedly stepped away from Ren.

"Mogami-san was just saying that there was some place she meant to visit," he answered easily. "But she did not want to interrupt you."

"Oh Kyoko, if you want to head into the east garden, that's just fine. I know you have some special memories with Sho there from the winter. I'll take Tsuruga-san inside and get him some supper. You can join us when you're ready."

"Oh, we shouldn't impose," Kyoko protested. She was overruled.

"It's just some food. I'm sure Tsuruga-san is hungry. There's so much of him to feed. I'll make sure he gets plenty to eat." Kyoko looked horrified, but Ren thanked Setsuie sincerely and shooed Kyoko off.

"I'll be fine," he told her as she tried to object. "This is the man who taught you how to cook and the master of a kitchen in a high class establishment. I'm sure he'll cook excellent food. Go ahead."

Kyoko took off and Ren fell into step beside Setsuie. There was a long stretch of silence between them as they wandered the garden for a bit longer. She spoke eventually.

"Does Kyoko have many friends in Tokyo?"

"Several. She's becoming very popular as an actress. She'll do very well for herself as long as she wants to act. And I see her acting for a long time. She loves it."

"She's told you that?"

"Among other things."

"How often does she see my son, do you know?"

"Not often. The last time she saw him was back in March."

"How neglectful of him."

"I don't think he cares about her very much," Ren commented. "Not enough to keep a close eye on her."

"Maybe he feels that he doesn't need to. She's always been very attached to him."

"Maybe she was. But Kyoko has been acting for almost two years now and I've know her for the better part of that time, and I can say for certain that she is not the same girl that she was when she started acting. I think it would be… unwise for your son to assume he has the same place in her life anymore."

"And you think someone else has taken it?"

"I think that is an open issue. But I think there are other people that want it."

"She could have a great life here. She would be comfortable. She knows this world. She knows this place."

"She does. But that doesn't mean she wants to stay here."

"You sound sure of that, Tsuruga-san. Stardom may be well and good for you, but Kyoko-chan is a very meek girl. I don't think too much popularity would suit her well. It would make her uncomfortable."

"As long as she feels loved, Kyoko is happy wherever she is," Ren said firmly. "As long as she feels cared for and needed, she makes the best of any and all of her circumstances. She is a capable woman, Setsuie-san."

"I know. She is the only woman I know capable of controlling my son."

"That isn't the only thing she is capable of doing."

"It is the most significant to me, Tsuruga-san."

"Of course."

* * *

Pushing aside the last few branches Kyoko sighed unhappily. She knew Corn was not going to be here, but she had hoped. She needed his reassurance and magic just now. His stone was not working as well as it once had. Though she supposed that Corn had never promised it would take away an inconvenient crush on Japan's Number One Bachelor, only her sadness and tears. She felt a bit cheated on that account.

"Corn, are you flying freely?" she asked the empty air. Her breath flew in little foggy clouds, reaching to the sky. The clearing was almost silent without birdcall and the stream plodding along sluggishly in the cold, caught by the overflow of the fall leaves that had built up in its waters. It was an empty place. Dead. There was no magic here. Kyoko pulled her coat tighter and turned back, shivering. She wanted to get back to the inn. She needed to rescue Ren. And maybe he could save her from the chill that was starting to set into her bones.

* * *

"Well, that was an interesting visit," Ren commented as they drove back to their hotel. "And educational. I didn't realize you knew so much about running a ryokan."

"I was going to take the position of okami-san and Sho's wife," Kyoko grumbled, rubbing her hands together in front of the heater. In spite of taking time to eat dinner and warm up, she was still cold. "I had to know those sorts of things."

"Are your hands alright?"

"I should have worn gloves when I went out," she confessed. "But they'll be alright soon."

"Did you enjoy your outing?"

"It was a bit of a letdown," she admitted. "I guess I really thought he would be there. I don't know why. I have no reason to believe that. Maybe I was hoping for a miracle."

"Well, it is Christmas. It makes sense to expect a miracle at some point, don't you think?"

"I guess. But this one was kind of silly."

"Maybe you should go again tomorrow," Ren suggested, knowing he was making a foolish mistake. "You could check again."

"Do you think he'll come?" she asked hopefully. Ren hesitated.

"I think he wouldn't want you to have bad memories of the place you met him. You should go and see if he is there and see if you feel better about it tomorrow."

"Would you come with me?" she asked.

"To the clearing?"

"Well, no. I guess… I don't think you really belong there," she admitted apologetically.

"I don't," Ren agreed. There was only one person who belonged there, and even if they shared a body, Ren knew that he and Kuon were as different as night and day. Heck, Kuon and Corn were barely relatable. "But I would be happy to drive you if you need a ride."

"Thank you."

* * *

Kyoko twirled her cup of tea in her hands and stared at the floor, ignoring the chatter around her. Setsuie had convinced Ren and Kyoko to stay for the Christmas party that night after Kyoko had visited her grove. They had accepted, but now Ren wished they had not. He could not be certain since she had moved into the other room last night and the walls were fairly thick between them, but he was fairly sure she had cried herself to sleep last night. He did not think she would have a good night tonight either, and he had not had a chance yet to talk to her about her trip into the woods beyond her brief explanation of, "He wasn't there."

Which Ren had known would be true.

"Something else to drink?" Fuwa Takahiro asked, offering Ren a cup. Ren had been avoiding the alcohol being passed around so far, knowing he would have to drive Kyoko later, but it had gotten late enough that they had been invited to stay the night and he was tempted. He knew his limits, so he accepted he cup with a grateful nod. As he did, something else was placed into his hand. "I confiscated that from one of the young girls who works here. I think she was planning to catch you in the hall with it."

Ren looked down at the bit of green and white shrubbery in his hands and sighed. "Thank you. That would have been difficult."

"No problem. It's part of my job to look after all of my guests. She doesn't look too good, does she?" he asked casually.

"Excuse me?"

"Kyoko-chan. She looks like she's not having a very good day. Normally she's happy about the Christmas party, and she's not so petty as to be sorry that we aren't celebrating her birthday on such short notice. Do you know what's wrong?"

"I have an idea," Ren admitted, offering his cup to Takahiro to refill. "But I don't think there is anything that anyone can do to make it better."

"That's too bad. I know my wife is excited about having her back, but if she had a falling out with our son, she can't be full of warm fuzzy feelings being back here. I wish she weren't so dutiful. I think she would be happier somewhere else. Somewhere that my wife wasn't telling complete strangers about all the time she used to spend with our son when they were young."

"Do you want her to marry him?"

"Are you kidding? It would be the nicest thing she could do for us. But I wouldn't wish the man that he is on any woman right now. And I'm not sure I would ever waste a woman as good as her on him. It isn't just her skill," he added. "We need a good woman to take over this place someday. But he isn't emotionally well rounded enough to take care of her where she most needs it. He believes in living his life following his own flow, which works for him. But Kyoko needs someone more constant, who can easily put her first and build his structure around her needs."

"She's had too many people walk out on her," Ren agreed.

"She's a good kid," Takahiro said, smiling fondly. "It was a lot of fun raising her. And it would be great if she wanted to come back here and take care of this place. But I don't see it happening."

"I hope not," Ren mumbled, eliciting a laugh from his host.

"No. I guess you wouldn't." He looked Ren over critically. "How stable of a guy would you say you are?"

"About as stable as gravel," he confessed. "I'm afraid there are days that I think she's just about the only thing holding me together."

"Well, she's good at being reliable," Takahiro admitted. "And as long as you'll always needs her, that's a kind of stability."

"I try not to imagine my world without her in it."

"Does she know that?"

"Not a clue."

"Tell her."

"I think she'll run away screaming," Ren confessed, accepting another glass.

"Tell her anyway," Takahiro told him. "And then run after her as fast as you can. Tackle her to the ground and hold her there until she gives you a straight answer. There are women that can take subtle hints and trust in words the first time you say them. She's not one of them. But she's worth convincing. Even if she runs away the first hundred times you tell her, go after her and tell her again."

"Well, it can't work any worse than what I've been doing so far," Ren sighed.

"I'm going to get this party wrapped up," Takahiro said firmly. "You put her to bed. My wife is a good business woman, but she is a bit pushy, and Kyoko doesn't need that right now. Put her to bed and let her recover. It's almost midnight anyway. Let her start her eighteenth birthday on a good note."

It took some maneuvering, but Ren eventually managed to get to Kyoko's side before Takahiro helped his wife direct their guests to bed. Kyoko showed Ren down the hall towards the family quarters where they would be staying. Kyoko would have her old room and Ren would get Sho's, since his bed was the only one left in the house large enough for a man of Ren's size, even if it was just barely.

"How are you doing?" Ren asked as they approached their rooms. "Was it worse today?"

"I guess I'm just being silly," Kyoko said with a hollow laugh. "But I really wanted him to be there. I feel like I really need a miracle right now. Something crazy to happen."

"Go tomorrow," Ren urged. "We have to drive back in the evening, and the president promised a surprise in the afternoon, but you have the morning."

"I don't think I want to be disappointed again," she admitted. Ren made a decision then and there that he knew was going to change the entire course of his life. He just hoped it would be worth it.

"You won't be," he promised, checking his watch briefly. Then he reached out to stop Kyoko from walking into her room and leaving him behind. She turned to face him, a little confused. "Happy eighteenth birthday Kyoko." She smiled.

And then Ren realized that he was still holding the mistletoe in the hand that had reached over her head. It was probably a mix of that, her smile, and the small amount of alcohol he had consumed. And the president's words dancing around somewhere in the back of his head. But whatever the equation was, it was just the right combination of crazy and courage to make him lean in and kiss her softly. He held the kiss for a moment and pulled away slowly, noticing her heightened color and wide eyes. But even those danger signs could not entirely wipe away the feeling of blissful content that was slowly pulsing through him now.

"Happy birthday," he said again. He waved the mistletoe in her face. "And Merry Christmas. I hope you get your miracle."

Then he turned and entered into Sho's old room, pulling out his phone and beginning to hunt down a number. In the room next to him, Kyoko leaned up against the wall, gasping for breath and hoping that she would be able to sleep at all that night. She did not have the strength to be angry. She was much too confused and terrified of the electric feeling shooting through her just then.


	3. Miracle of Belief

Kyoko woke to the sound of a sharp knock on her door, and was more than a little disoriented when she realized she was in her old room back in Kyoto. There was a second knock, but before Kyoko could find her voice, the door opened a crack and Ren poked his head in, wearing the most ridiculous beanie Kyoko had been obligated to see anyone wear. She hoped it was for a disguise because it was too ugly to be fashionable.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was just going to go run some errands this morning. I’ll be back here around lunch time, and we’ll have to leave then. If you’re going to head out again today and check, you’ll need to leave soon.”

“Right,” she mumbled, the events of the night before rushing back. “I’ll… do that.”

“Whatever you like,” Ren said earnestly. “I’ll just be gone this morning. Fuwa-san has some breakfast left if you’re hungry.”

Glancing at the clock, Kyoko noted that she had only gotten about two solid hours of sleep. This was going to make the day uncomfortable, but she had no good reason to stay in bed if she wanted to get things done this morning.

“Tell him I’ll be right down?”

“Of course. I’ll let him know on his way out.” Ren paused as he moved to pull the door shut. “Happy birthday.”

Kyoko hoped he missed her cheeks flaming as he whispered those words. They brought back the night before in full detail. Suddenly, even if she had wanted to go back to sleep, she could not have. She would try going to Corn’s clearing one more time that day. It might calm her down and distract her from the rampant longing she was fighting. 

* * *

Lory hung up the phone after a polite thank you to the caller and leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Ren and Kyoko had not returned to their hotel the night before. This could mean any number of things, though Lory was not about to jump up and down suspecting much progress. If his investigation into Kyoko’s past was accurate, they could very well have stayed at the Fuwa ryokan, and somehow he just did not see Kyoko surrendering herself to reckless abandon in the place she was raised so strictly.

Lory was torn. He understood people who had scruples concerning relationships and loved how those kinds of relationships developed differently from ones where couples disregarded holding off intimacy. He also had no wish to see Kyoko overrun by Ren’s desire. But he wanted something substantial between the two. It was plain to Lory, and to plenty of other people, that Ren and Kyoko already had a very deep relationship. It seemed like it was time for them to take the next step. And since both of them seemed to have trouble expressing their feelings verbally, there were not very many other options. Besides, Lory was certain that physical relationships and marriage were tied irrevocably together in Kyoko’s head, so if Ren did become involved with her they would have to get married right away and then Kuu could stop harassing Lory about when his son would get home and could start harassing his children for grandbabies.

It would be best for everyone, obviously.

He pressed a button on his phone. “Satome-san, is the flight on schedule?”

“Ready to land,” his secretary answered promptly. “Your assistant is already in Kyoto with the car. And catering has been prepared.”

“Thank you.”

Today was going to be an interesting day for his starlets.

* * *

Kyoko finished her breakfast and escaped quickly, wishing she had brought a change of clothes the night before. Thankfully, one of her old brushes was still in her room, so she was able to clean up a bit, but she felt a bit scummy. She wished she could get fresh clothes. If Corn was there today she was not sure that she wanted to meet him like this.

The morning was crisp and Kyoko was glad for it. The cold cleared her head and colored her cheeks and nose pink. It was easier to hide what she was feeling if she was already blushing. The walk was fairly short, and before long she had entered the clearing. She glanced around for a few minutes, sat down on a rock and waited for a bit. But she was also impatient. He would not be there. She could not remember why she had wanted to come.

Of course. It was Tsuruga Ren’s fault. He had told her to hope for a Christmas miracle. He had dragged her to a love shrine and then kissed her at midnight on her eighteenth birthday. He was the one that had kept her up all night, then woken her up early this morning to come out here and be disappointed.

Sometimes she hated him.

All the time, she loved him.

It was complicated.

She decided to leave, standing up and dusting off her pants as she turned to go. She glanced back for a long moment, shook her head, and started walking forward. Suddenly, there was a soft whump behind her. She whipped around and froze, her jaw dropping.

“Hello, Kyoko-chan.”

He had practiced the jump. It took a lot of skill to make 190 centimeters of well-muscled human male land on the ground in even the smallest resemblance of an elegant and ethereal fairy. Actually, it took all of his acting and stunt skill to make that entrance perfect. Acting like he had when he was ten, using his sinfully large fortune to purchase the costume, calling in his contacts to make the make-up changes, and using his stunt experience to land like a freaking magical pixie.

All of his life’s work accumulated to this: a six year old girl’s fantasy come back to life for her eighteen year old self. Ren had only really drawn the line at sparkles.

Kyoko’s mouth worked up and down for a few moments as she tried to take all of this in. Yes, it was Ren. It was Ren in the build, Ren in the voice, Ren in the presence, in the way her heart was starting to throb in her throat.

But it was Corn too. Corn in the talking, in the posture, in the blonde hair, in the outfit. Well, actually, the outfit was new. If Kyoko had known anything about cheap American historical romance novel covers, she would have recognized this stereotypical black trouser and loose shirt look, meant to looking dashing and casual with its open v-front laced loosely in what someone apparently thought was a manly manner. Not that it looked bad on Tsuruga Ren, but not all men could pull off the kind of styles that he flaunted. He made the outfit look princely enough, for all that it was incredibly simple.

Ren and Corn. She couldn't decide which one.

“H-hello?”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes,” she answered uncertainly, knowing that she had seen Ren only a few hours before. The thought crossed her mind that Corn had taken on some of Ren’s form to make her easy, but that seemed a bit farfetched even for her mind.

“I’m sorry I didn’t write to you. Looking back I probably should have. I think it would have been good if you could have had someone else to rely on all those years.”

“Probably,” she agreed mindlessly, still trying to get her bearings.

“I missed this place, you know,” he said wistfully. “I missed the summer heat and the stream, and you soaking your handkerchief for me. I missed the birdsong. We had different birds back home. It just wasn’t the same. And I missed you too. I missed your cheerfulness and your honesty. I… really needed those.”

“Tsu- Co- I don’t-“

“Happy birthday, Kyoko-chan,” he said suddenly. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to celebrate with you all these years. Every Christmas I would think about what you had told me, about being glad to celebrate at all with other people, even if your birthday overlapped with Christmas. I hoped you were having fun. It made things easier the years that I was alone.”

“Alone?” she asked in a concerned tone. “What about your parents?” Corn smiled sadly. Kyoko berated herself. Ren never talked about his parents. For all she knew, he was estranged from them. Then she berated herself again. This could not be Tsuruga Ren. He knew things she had never told Ren. And his eyes were too blue. Blue like an open sky, not muddy like the blue of contacts over brown eyes.

But it _was_ Ren. Her entire being knew that. What was he doing? How did he know? He could not really be-

“I wanted to see you again,” Corn said lightly. “I know I haven’t been very reliable. And… I’ve done some terrible things since I went away.”

That was Ren’s face. The face of despair that had pulled her in again and again. That had drawn her into his arms and against him. The face that had changed her whole view on who he was, that had made her want to be near him so badly, to prop him up, that sometimes still made her wake up gasping, barely able to breath as she dreamed that she lost him to some imaginary darkness. Only the darkness was real. And so was this man in front of her, whoever he was.

“Are you afraid?” he asked, sadness in his voice.

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly. He pulled back, almost as if he had been struck. “I’m afraid I’m going to wake up. I’m afraid I’m going to blink and you won’t be here anymore and it will all have been a dream. I’m afraid that I don’t understand what is happening and that you’re going to leave without explaining. Again.”

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he promised promptly. “Anything at all.”

“Are you Tsuruga Ren?” He hesitated.

“Yes.” Kyoko gulped.

“Are you really, really Corn?”

“Yes.”

“Why haven’t you told me before now?”

“Because I didn’t think you wanted the two people mixed together.”

“Then why are you telling me now?”

“Because I wanted to give you a chance to see Corn again. I didn’t want you to think he had ever forgotten you. I didn’t want you to believe that you had ever been alone for a single second.”

“But you weren’t there,” she gasped, fighting back tears. “All those years.”

“I wasn’t,” he agreed. “But I wanted to be. And I didn’t know it was you at first either. But once I did, I couldn't get you out of my head.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When I first met you, I just wanted to be what you needed. I didn’t want to complicate things or disappoint you. Later, when I recognized you again and realized who you were, I knew I would disappoint you if I told you. There was never a time after that that felt right to tell you. But I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to trust me,” he said fervently. “I want to be able to say anything to you and have you believe it and have no reason to doubt it’s the truth. I want you to be able to trust that I will never, ever, try to hurt you. And I want you to trust that if I ever do hurt you, I will do whatever it takes to make things right with you again. I don’t ever want you to suffer because of me. And I think I’ve made you suffer a lot this past year. More than you ever deserved.”

“How?” she asked, utterly perplexed. It was true that last night had been stressful, and that she had been having difficulty with the feelings that she harbored for him. But she knew that he had no idea about those, or he would have no doubts that she trusted him.

“Well, playing the role of Setsuka couldn’t have been easy for you, especially since I was always pushing you to do things that made you uncomfortable. And then there were those rumors this summer which you hated so much. I can respect that you wouldn’t want to be associated with me in any way once you saw me playing a character like BJ, but-“

“Wait, what?” she shrieked. Ren/Corn blinked. “Why on earth would I dislike you because you played BJ? How could I do anything but admire how hard you worked to deal with that role, even though it was hurting you so much? I can’t believe I was actually allowed to stay there and help you when I did _nothing_ to make it easier for you!”

“You… weren’t scared?”

“I was terrified,” Kyoko corrected, shuddering. “I was scared to death that you were going to hurt yourself, or that you would hurt someone else and regret it for ever and ever. I was scared that you would snap and Murasame-san would lose an arm or something. I was scared that one day you’d disappear into BJ and never come back. I couldn’t believe you didn’t send me away, I was so useless in trying to help you keep things together.”

“Kyoko…” he said with an ironic smile, “you were the only thing that kept me together.” It was her turn to blink.

“I what?” He laughed.

“You were everything that I needed. Whenever I thought I was about to disappear or lose my mind, I’d grab onto you and… the whole world came back. The days when I wanted to hurt people, the days when I wanted to kill myself-“ Kyoko blanched and Ren realized she had no idea how far gone he had almost been those nights when he had clung to her so desperately, carelessly dragging her down into his darkness. “Kyoko, every time that I thought I was going to disappear you saved me.”

“How?” she demanded, entirely bewildered. “I didn’t _do_ anything.”

He walked over to her, taking her into his arms and ignoring her gasp of protest. “Kyoko, I love you.” She stiffened, but he did not let go. “I need you about as much as I need to breathe. When I’m with you I stop pretending to be someone I’m not. I become a better person than I ever was before.”

“That isn’t possible,” she objected. “I’m just a plain, boring, silly, inexperienced, immature-“ He cut her off with a kiss.

“You aren’t plain,” he told her in a low voice as she scrambled to turn her brain back on, “and there is nothing about you that is boring. I could watch you forever. You are amazing. You are silly sometimes, but so am I, and besides, it’s darling. As for inexperienced and immature…” The light was back in his eyes and Kyoko was finding it very hard to deny that he seemed to have a very powerful interest in her. “I wouldn't have you any other way,” he whispered. “You don’t need to be experienced. I’ll teach you anything you need to know. No one else needs to lay a hand on you.”

It was impossibly surreal. Part of her brain was crying, screaming for her to run away before he deceived her anymore and broke her heart to bits. It told her that this Corn/Ren creature was a complete paradox. And her own rational mind had not quite melded the two together. It was like she was in the arms of two different men, experiencing two different confessions. There was the gentle Corn and the Emperor Ren, trapping her in place. And so help her, she wanted them both. She wanted all of him.

“Cor- Re- Tsu-“ He smiled, understanding her problem.

“Call me whatever you like,” he told her, pulling her even tighter into his embrace. “Just do it where I can hear you.”

A thought crossed her mind. “What kind of cruel parents would name their child Corn?” she demanded. Ren winced.

“They didn’t. You just never said it right and I never bothered to correct you.”

“Seriously?” she asked in disbelief. “You never thought I’d like to know I was saying it wrong?”

“It was cute,” he laughed. “Besides, no one ever says it right. In the States people couldn’t wrap their minds around the Japanese, and out here I kept saying it like they did in America.”

“You lived in America?” This time he smiled guiltily.

“My name is Kuon, Kyoko.”

It took her a full thirty seconds to register what he meant. Then there was a shriek.

* * *

Takahiro looked at his wife and smiled as she sighed. He knew that she was watching until the last possible moment as Kyoko pulled away in the car of a man both of them barely knew.

“She isn’t coming back,” he commented, standing behind his wife and looking out at the empty road.

“Shotaro might bring her back with him. He’ll come home someday.”

“He might,” he husband answered. “Or he might not. He was a brilliant musician, Setsuie. He’s doing well for himself.”

“Do you really accept that?”

“I think he looks like an idiot, dressing like that and pretending to be someone he isn’t. But I’ve never thought he was blessed with your brains, so that might be my fault.”

“Kyoko-chan can handle him.”

“When she wants to, yes. But he can’t handle her very well.”

“He doesn’t need to.”

“She needs him to,” her husband admonished.

“Do you think that Tsuruga-san in her life will be good for Shotaro? A bit of friendly competition to push him along.”

“I don’t think you can call a man like that ‘friendly competition,’” Takahiro smiled. “He’s more like divine punishment.”

“They would be good for this place. It should stay in the family.”

“Maybe our son will fall in love with a woman who wants to take your position someday,” her husband soothed. “That is still a possibility. Even if he can’t admit that he loved Kyoko, I don’t doubt that the woman he does chose will have most of her best qualities. There’s still hope.”

“She was supposed to be our daughter, Takahiro.”

“She was supposed to be Saena-san’s daughter,” her husband pointed out. “But I wouldn’t force that on her again either.” His wife reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Kuu Hizuri sat on the end of a bed swinging his feet back and forth as he munched on the end of a sandwich. His wife, prepared to hand him more food, sat next to the bed in a chair, her eyes glued to the door.

“I don’t see why it has to be so small,” Kuu complained between bites. “It’s not like Boss can’t afford more room, and any son of mine deserves it.”

“She’s a girl, Kuu,” Juliena answered patiently, flipping open her phone to look at the picture that Lory had provided her with per her special request. Since Kyoko was having a conversation with Ren at the time, she looked especially pretty in the shot.

“You know what I meant.”

“You mean the thing we promised to never talk about openly for safety reasons? Or the fact that you’re too stubborn to admit Kyoko’d make a better daughter than a copy of our son.”

“She’s not a copy. She’s her own person.”

“Of course she is. And she’s female.”

“She’s a really good boy,” Kuu countered stubbornly.

“She’s a really good actress. There is a difference.” Kuu harrumphed, but said nothing else, quietly accepting the next sandwich from his wife. Three sandwiches later, the lock clicked and the door swung open to the sound of laughter. Ren and Kyoko entered the room hand in hand, dressed from head to toe in their winter clothes, Kyoko almost gasping for breath.

“I’m serious,” Ren was explaining. “I can cook. The food I make is perfectly edible. I’ll cook for you and prove it.”

“Or we could take you out to dinner,” Kuu volunteered, cutting into the conversation and making the visitors known. Ren and Kyoko both stopped and stared. “Surprise! Boss said that he was trying to set up a family Christmas for you two, so we were invited to come and see you, Kyoko-chan,” he said, making sure to address her especially. “I know it’s short notice, but we couldn’t resist. Ah, and I should introduce the two of you to my wife. Kyoko-chan, Tsuruga-san, this is Hizuri Juliena.”

Juliena stood to reach out to the two with a raised hand when they suddenly looked at each other and burst into laughter again. Ren closed the door and pulled off the beanie, making his mother gasp.

“ **I really don’t need to be introduced, Dad,** ” he said casually, walking across the room and giving his mother a hug. She returned the embrace, a few tears leaking out of her eyes. Kuu was too astonished to speak. “Kyoko, these are obviously my parents. I know you’ve met my dad, but this is my mother. Okaa-san, I’d like to introduce you to my coworker and my girlfriend, Mogami Kyoko.”

Kuu, who had been about to demand to know what was going on froze again as Kuon crossed back to Kyoko, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and proudly showing her off to his parents.

“How long have you been dating?” Juliena asked kindly, smiling at Kyoko. The girl responded with a small smile of her own. Of all the truths that Kuon had stretched in telling her about his family as a child, there was one fact he had not mistaken. His mother was the most beautiful woman in the world, and Kyoko felt herself shirking every second she stood in the same room as the model.

“Since today,” she answered in a small voice. She added, with equal discomfort, “It’s my eighteenth birthday.”

“Happy birthday,” Juliena congratulated. “I’m sorry we didn’t get you a present. Would you like to go shopping for something before we go out to eat?” Kyoko’s eyes grew wide.

“No thank you!” she gasped, looking up at Kuon for support. He chuckled.

“We’ve been shopping these past three days,” he told his mother. “Kyoko isn’t used to spending so much cash at one time. I think she needs to recover some more before we send her out with you.”

“That’s fine,” Juliena accepted, taking a seat again and gesturing for the couple to do the same. Kuon helped Kyoko over to the end of the second bed where she sat ramrod straight. Kuu had still not quite recovered. There was an awkward silence. Kyoko could not think of anything intelligent to say, Kuon was content to simply watch his new girlfriend and enjoy his fortune, and Juliena was content to watch her son for the first time in years.

The change was almost uncanny. He was not haunted, shadowed, or pained. He looked refreshed, content, and blissful, still holding Kyoko’s hand as she tried to not look anyone in the eye.

“We’re going to have to talk about something to pass the time until dinner,” Juliena said at last. “And I do need to get to know you better, Kyoko-chan. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, even before I knew that my son loved you.”

“Really?” Kyoko asked, surprised. “Otou-san told you about me?”

“All about you,” Juliena answered. “I have to admit, I was jealous. I always wanted a daughter, and you seemed like just the girl I would have wanted. You certainly seem to belong in this family,” she noted, staring at her son, a question in her eyes. Kuon’s answering look spoke volumes, and Juliena let the subject drop. She could wait. She was good at waiting. She might complain sometimes, but she knew better than to let her irritations ruin the hard work of others. And if Lory’s subtle hints and her own observations of Kyoko were any indication, Kuon had been working very hard for this relationship.

“I’m glad I finally get to meet you too,” Kyoko answered timidly. “Otou-san talked about you a lot. I’ve been hoping…” She trailed off, nervous and embarrassed.

“So what should we talk about,” Juliena asked, hoping to encourage Kyoko to speak some more. Unfortunately, Kuu had found his voice.

“Grandchildren?” he asked hopefully. Kuon groaned and Kyoko whimpered.

* * *

_You have one unheard message. First unheard message._

_"_ _Hi Moko-san! The trip to Kyoto was great. We did lots of shopping and visited a temple. I got to visit the Fuwa Ryokan and we stayed there for the Christmas party. I think they’ve forgiven me for running away. Otou-san and his wife came out for a surprise visit. Otou-san seems to think he needs to convince me that I was meant to be a mother, but I’m still not so sure about that. But it was fun to see them. Juliena-sama is_ amazing _. I want to be just like her someday. Ah, almost out of message time. I’ll see you at LME on Tuesday. Stay safe. Oh, and Ren and I are dating. Goodby-“_

_No new messages. Would you like to repeat a message?_

Kanae stared at the phone in her hand, torn between fury and confusion.

“What the-“


End file.
